Seeking Shelter
by Muisje
Summary: RT Rory has to seek shelter when the weather takes a bad turn. Guess whose door she's knocking on?
1. Rainy weather & Weird situations

***************************************************************************

Author's Note: Ok, so I wrote two stories already, they weren't really fantastic, so I thought let's try it again. I'm from Holland, so please forgive me my grammatical errors. This is going to be just a small fic, about Tristan and Rory. Please review, I really appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I wish I did…

Summary: Rory has to seek shelter when the weather takes a bad turn….guess whose door she's knocking on…? 

***************************************************************************

**Seeking shelter**

***************************************************************************

She was on her way to see her Grandma. Unlike her mom, she actually enjoyed being there sometimes. Just to get away from all the crowds in Stars Hollow and be by herself in her own VERY pink room. Unfortunately, this evening the weather was very bad. It had started to rain terribly and the wind was also picking up. Rory, not much a hero, was getting afraid and pulled her car to the side of the road to call her mom.

"Mom?"

"Hey babe, where are you? I was sitting here all worried, and I tried calling to your grandparents but their phone doesn't work or anything and I think the power is out, are you ok, darling? 

"Yes, mom, if you just let me speak, you over-worried person! I pulled the car to the side of the road, cause the weather is indeed very bad. It's getting a little freaky here. I just called you to make sure you weren't worried."

"Well, I am! So here's what I want you to do. Where are you now?"

"I'm already in Hartford, mom but it's still a long way to grandma's. I'm in…..Perkerly Lane?"

"I know that street! Ok, so listen up. If you look very closely, you'll see a big mansion down the street, I believe its number 136 or 138 or something like that. I know the people who live there. Not very well, but if you tell them you're my daughter I'm sure they'll let you in! Just kiddin' babe. I'll ask Luke to come with me and we'll pick you up there. You shouldn't be driving on your own in this weather."  

"Ok, mom, will do. I'll call you when I arrive, ok? I've got to hurry up, the weather is getting even worse, love you mom bye!"

"Love you too, kiddo, be careful!"

And with that, Rory started the car and drove to the big mansion she saw on the end of the street. Something in her gut told her this wasn't right, but hey she trusted her mom. When she parked her car, and rang the doorbell. She heard the sound of the bell echo through the whole house. Soon, the door opened and a friendly woman appeared. Eyeing, a now soaked shivering Rory, she said:

"Hello, my dear, can I help you?"

"Yes ma'am, my name is Rory Gilmore, and I was on my way to my grandparents but the weather was getting worse and worse and I became afraid, and then I called my mom and she said to go to this house and ask if I could get some shelter here, because she said you were very nice people and she knew you from before and…….."

Rory was kind of nervous, and she started to ramble.

"Of course, child, come in please. You must be very cold. I indeed know your mother; she's a very nice person." 

The woman responded. 

Rory let out a sigh of relief, she felt at ease immediately. But then something happened. 

While the woman was taking Rory's coat, she said:  

"My name is Elizabeth Dugrey, I believe you know my son Tristan?"

***************************************************************************

 Ok, so that's chapter 1. I know it's not very original, but I love the idea of Tristan and Rory in a house together…..o the things that can happen…. J Anyway, please review! 

***************************************************************************


	2. Coffee & Tristan

***************************************************************************

"Mom, who's there? I can't imagine anyone going out in this sort of weath…Mary!"

Tristan's stomach did a double flip when he saw his Mary standing there in his hallway, all soaked. 

*She's still as beautiful as ever* 

"Tristan" she said. 

Rory just stared at him, not knowing what to do in this situation. Tristan didn't help either, because he was too shocked to say anything. 

*Oh my god, what is she doing here? God, how much I missed her.*

Fortunately, Elizabeth Dugrey ended the uncomfortable silence and asked Rory if she perhaps wanted some coffee. The question shook her out of her reverie.

"Yes, please." She answered. Elizabeth then hurried herself to the kitchen. 

"Still a coffee lover, Mary?" Tristan said when his mom was gone.

"Still too stupid to remember my name, Bible Boy?" was Rory's witty reply.

And the banter was back.

***************************************************************************

A couple of hours later Rory and Tristan found there selves in a comfortable conversation. Rory had informed her mom that she was safe. The weather was still very bad, so Lorelai told her to spend the night at the Dugrey-mansion, so that Luke and she didn't have to pick her up in this bad weather. 

While drinking many cups of coffee, Tristan told Rory about his adventures at Military School and he explained to her why he was back. She was actually surprised that they were getting along so well. It seemed like he was different. He was changed. 

But, Tristan noticed, so was Rory. She wasn't the shy, little girl anymore he left behind when he was sent away. Although he could still make her blush with one comment, she had actually become a confident woman.

And that made him fall in love with her even more.     

***************************************************************************

Ok, that was chapter 2. The chapters will get longer, I promise! So, you like? Let me know, please review! 

Next chapter: 

Where will Rory sleep? 

What if she gets afraid? 

Will she go to Tristan?

Stay tuned!!

***************************************************************************


	3. Paradise & Thunder

***************************************************************************

Hi everyone! First of all I wanted to thank **Mel**, **MestFanFicAddict**, **blahblah6**, **Stephanie, **not4me**, ****Chelle5, ****emz-008, shazoo, bmundahl, mandie for their reviews. You rock! It really encouraged me, and tadaa here I am again, with a new chapter. I'm getting the hang of it, this is becoming more and more my story. I'm doing my best to work out the character's thoughts. **

By the way, **Stephanie**, she WILL sleep in one of the rooms, and I assure you, she won't stay there all night…. ! gna…gna…. And **Steff****,  of course there will be some witty conversation first, Rory isn't the type to start making out just like that. I'm very impatient so I'd rather have them get together soon, but I know it's more fun this way. So thanks again! ****And a special thanks to the Dutch reviewers Intuition1 and Smile1 : 'paus-imitatie': danke voor die bloemen! Gaaf dat er hier ook nederlanders rondsurfen!**

So thanks again to everyone, please keep reviewing, then I'll keep writing! Bye now!

***************************************************************************

After a while, Tristan noticed that Rory was getting tired. She yawned. *God she'cute* 

Even the 5 cups of coffee she had consumed during their conversation, weren't able to keep her awake.

"Mary, as much as I'd like to stay up all night talking to you, I think we should get some sleep. I'll show you your room." Tristan said.

Rory smiled thankfully. The bad weather and of course meeting Tristan again had exhausted her. Lucky for her, tomorrow they had the day off from school. Some big convention was going on, and the students were given a free day with of course loads of homework. It was Chilton, after all. 

"Thanks, Tristan. I'm really tired." Rory stretched like a kitten when she got up from the couch, causing Tristan's heartbeat to speed up. 

*Jeez, get a hold of yourself Dugrey. Don't let her get to you like this. It's not like she's into you* 

Tristan got up from the couch too and led her to her room. It was on the second floor, next to Tristan's. 

"Here it is, Mary. There's a bathroom through that door, and on the bed are some clothes for you to sleep in. Do you think you'll be alright?"

Rory stood still in awe when she saw their 'guestroom'. This wasn't a guestroom, this was paradise. The room was at least 4 times as big as her bedroom in Stars Hollow. There were large doors to the balcony, a big desk in the corner of the room and a king-size bed with red silk sheets. But the best thing of it all was the bookcase against the wall. It was almost covering the whole wall and was stuffed with books. Be alright? She would be great!

"You like what you see, Mary?" Tristan asked when Rory still hadn't responded to him. 

"Ehm, yeah wow, I'm just amazed by all these books. I've never seen so many! Who is the reader is in this house?"

"I am." He said with a smile on his face. "You see, there's more to me than just my gorgeous godly body, Mary." 

Rory decided to ignore his last comment and answered truthfully

"I'm starting to realize that now, Tristan. You know what; tomorrow you have to tell me all about the books you have read ok? I really want to hear what you favourites are, and of course I want to tell you mine. Do we have a deal?"

"We have a deal, Ms Gilmore."

"Good night, Tristan."

"Sweet dreams, Mary." 

And with these last words, Tristan left the room and went to his room to crawl into his own bed. 

***************************************************************************

Rory jumped up after a loud bang awoke her from her sleep. The claps of thunder where frightening and lightning was casting shadows in the corners of the room. Ok, so this room wasn't paradise when it was night and there was thunder and lightning storm going on outside. She looked at the clock on the nightstand; it said 3:34 AM in bright red letters. Now she had to admit to herself that she was getting afraid. She wasn't a hero and being in a strange bed, in a strange room in a strange house, wasn't really something she enjoyed right now. Everything was strange around here, except for one thing. 

Tristan. 

****************************************************************************

Tristan woke up at the sounds of footsteps. He was never such a good sleeper, and the slightest noise could wake him up. By now, he was sitting up in his bed and listening intensely. * There's something walking down the hall. * But that's when he heard the knock on his bedroom door and a soft voice whisper: "Tristan? Are you awake?"  * It's Rory * He let out a sigh of relief; he'd rather have Rory walking down the halls in the middle of the night than a creepy burglar. 

His bedroom door opened and Rory poked her head inside.

"Can I please come in? The thunder is getting worse and I'm…well…..I don't want to be alone right now." 

"Yeah sure." He said. * She's looks really adorable in these oversized sweats and shirt.* 

"Come here." And that's all he said. 

No witty banter, no teasing, no sexual innuendos. There was just a girl who was scared and a boy who wanted to take care of her. 

Rory closed the door behind her, walked to his bed, and crawled in next to him. 

Another loud clap of thunder scared Rory and she shifted a little. That's when she felt two strong arms wrap around her. She wanted to protest, but after a few seconds of being in his arms, she didn't want to anymore. She felt calm, safe and………sleepy.

Tristan, meanwhile, was still awake. * Who would have thought that I would be here with Rory in my arms? Nothing has ever felt so right in my whole life. You've got it bad, Dugrey. *

And not once did Tristan think about her body, and all the things that could happen now he had her in his bed. He was already thankful to be able to hold her. 

And just before Tristan dozed of too, a last thought crossed his mind.

*Dugrey, you're becoming a softy.* 

**************************************************************************************************************************

So, that's it for now. I hope you all liked it, I'm doing the best I can! Next chapter will be up soon, cause my Christmas holidays are starting the day after tomorrow. 

By the way: **Please feel sorry for me, because tomorrow I have to do an exam in Latin for school and if I screw that up……lol.**

** We'll see how it goes.  ** Bye now! 

Greetz, Muisje

**************************************************************************************************************************


	4. Wake up & smell the coffee!

Hey everyone. Thanks a lot for your reviews. I'm actually quite pleased about this chapter. I have written it at 1:30 AM and to my surprise I have made it to almost a thousand words. 

Shocked faces everywhere Yes I know, I couldn't believe it myself either…lol. I've tried to describe their feelings for each other better, and I think that will be good for the story. So please: read and review. Thanks again to all the reviewers and for the ones who wished me luck on the exam: thank you very much!!!!!

***************************************************************************

Rory woke up to the smell of fresh-brewed coffee. She opened her eyes and found herself, alone, in a very large bed in a very large room. For a second she didn't know where she was, but then it all came back to her. Tristan. She was actually kind of relieved that he had already gotten up. The biggest part of the awkward situation that was bound to take place was already over.  Rory just remained in bed, thinking about how to face Tristan. She was a bit embarrassed because of her actions last night. She had never been such a baby, and now she had gone to Tristan to seek comfort. It had been the second time in 12 hours. Somehow, her attitude towards him had changed. She didn't know how or when it happened, but it had. The big defensive wall that she always used when he was around was slowly beginning to disappear. She was getting vulnerable, she knew it. Maybe the stubborn Rory Gilmore was starting to give in to Tristan Dugrey's charm, but somehow she didn't care. Letting out a big sigh, she searched for something to read. 

***************************************************************************

Meanwhile, the object of Rory's thoughts was walking around in the kitchen, making breakfast. He had woken up before her, and was shocked by his feelings. It was indescribable what happened to him the moment he opened his eyes and saw Rory lying next to him, fast asleep. And right at that moment, he knew that he wanted it for the rest of his life. Just to wake up and find her next to him. He had stared at her for a few minutes, knowing that if she woke up the fairytale would be all over. For now, he could enjoy the sensation of Rory lying next to him, in his bed. That she had let her guard down around him, and was sleeping peacefully. 

After a while, he had gotten up very quietly, hoping not to disturb her in her sleep. He knew that if she woke up and found him next to her, she would be very embarrassed because of the situation. He knew that she was innocent, for Christ sake, he didn't call her Mary for no reason! He didn't want to provoke her and so he left the bedroom and went downstairs to make some breakfast. He knew that he would have to deal with the awkward situation later, after all they had slept in the same bed and he knew Rory would see it as a big deal. 

So did he, but for different reasons than he knew Rory did. He had slept in the same bed as the girl he loved. She had slept in the same bed as the boy she despised. 

There was a big difference there.

***************************************************************************

When breakfast was ready, Tristan put it all on a tray and walked upstairs. He was hoping that she was already awake. He didn't want to see the look of shock on her face when the first thing she saw when she woke up was him. He couldn't handle it. When he slowly opened the door and walked in, he saw Rory sitting up in bed with a book in her hand. She looked up at him and he knew in an instant that she was nervous. 

"Hey there, Mary. I made you some breakfast." Tristan said, trying to break the ice.

"Wow, you sure know how to make my day. You even made me coffee!" Rory replied, putting her book aside. Tristan let out a sigh of relief; she had understood what he was trying to do. The annoying tension was gone and he handed her the cup of steaming coffee. 

She thankfully accepted it and started to drink it immediately.

"God woman, I can't see how you can drink that. It's bloody hot, you know that right?"

"I know, but I like coffee. By the way, I already found out one of your favorite writers." She picked up the book that was next to her on the bed. "Hemmingway…huh…interesting." 

She smiled.

So did he. They both knew that the moment was there. They had to talk about it. 

"Tristan…about last night…I'm sorry I…" Rory started, but she was soon interrupted by Tristan.

"It's OK, Mary. You were scared and I can imagine. It must have been pretty scary when you're in a strange surrounding and the weather is as nasty as it was yesterday. So don't worry please, and don't feel embarrassed because there's no need to. 

And you know, I really didn't mind, Mary, having you in my arms." 

A pair of blue eyes looked at him with wonder. They were searching for any sign that he was joking about that last comment. After all, she had expected him to make at least a few sexual tinted remarks about last night. She searched for the mocking tone in his voice. But she didn't find anything. He was dead serious. 

Tristan instead wanted to smack himself. How could he have been so stupid? Everything was going fine, he wanted to make her feel comfortable again, and what does he do? He makes a comment like that. He was sure that she would hate him even more now. 

But then she answered with a soft voice: 

"And I didn't really mind being hold by you, Tristan."

To say he was shocked would be a huge understatement. She was amazing. How does she do that? Always saying things that take me by surprise? 

They were both silent for a while but then Rory said, before taking a sip of her coffee: 

"So Tristan, tell me about Hemmingway…" 

They both smiled.

*************************************************************************** 

And that's it for now. I hope you liked it, let me know! Bye now! 


	5. Sexy bikinis & Heartbeats speeding up

A/N: Hi there! Happy new year everyone! A little late I know. I'm sorry I haven't updated but I just didn't know exactly what to write. It's very frustrating! Now I've finally finished a new chapter and, to be honest with you, I think it's awful! I did my very best but somehow the words just didn't want to come. I wanted to create this whole ambiance but somehow it didn't work! So please be easy on me in your reviews, because I already know how much this sucks   ; ) ! 

I'm not even going to explain what I tried to do with this chapter because I'm certain it didn't work…LOL….! Just read it, and please review. Are their any suggestions for the next chapters? I promise, I'll make it up to you in the next chapters but I need some advice what to put in this story!

And thanks to you all the reviewers of the next chapter! You're wonderful!

**************************************************************************************************************************

 3 months later

"Come on BibleBoy, I didn't know you were afraid of water?" Rory called out to Tristan who was standing next to the pool, after she had jumped in herself.

"Do you want me to come and get you? Cause that can be arranged, you know."

"Patience Mary, patience Mary, I hope you understand that I have to get used to the water, and of course the water has to get used to me and my gorgeous body. I don't want to traumatize the pool you know?" He answered, but his voice didn't sound really convincing.

Rory shook her head. Why was he acting so strange all of a sudden? It almost seemed as if he wanted to…. Quickly, Rory turned around and started swimming laps. She didn't want things to change, so she just ignored his weird behaviour. She didn't know that the water temperature wasn't the reason why Tristan was hesitating to get in. It was Rory's body, covered in the sexiest bikini he had ever seen. His resolves were weakening.

  In the 3 months after that faithful night and morning, they had become close friends. Rory was glad to have at least one friend at Chilton, and Tristan….well Tristan was just happy to be able to spend time with the girl of his dreams. They had never spoken to each other about that morning, when they had their 'moment'. That subject was a big no in their friendship. Rory knew that maybe she had more than friendly feelings for Tristan, but he just got back and she didn't want to make things complicated. And Tristan knew that Rory needed time to make up her mind. 

  So this is what happened: They hung out together, had movie nights with Lorelai, had coffee at Lukes once in a while and of course he met her at her locker everyday to give Rory her daily caffeine-fix. Anyone who saw them together would think they were a couple. The way they laughed about each others jokes, they way they would give each other the support they needed to get through Chilton-hell. Anyone could see that they had started to become more than 'just friends'. Lorelai had talked to Rory about this, but she was still in denial. Lorelai had seen the way Tristan looked at her daughter. This wasn't just a high-school crush. This was in fact, love. 

   Rory was happy the way things were, and didn't want to mess everything up. She was happy to have him as a friend, that's what she kept reminding herself. And Tristan had made a promise to himself. Rory was just his friend, until she wished to be more. That morning when she told him she didn't mind being held by him, he was so incredibly happy. She was warming up to him. Maybe, just maybe, he would get another chance. He would just be her friend, no matter how hard that would be for him. She had somehow given him a second chance, and he was not going to mess up again. So that's how their 'relationship' was at the time when Rory was in the Chilton-pool wearing a sexy bikini and Tristan was standing at the side with a heart beating a million times a minute.

  And although Tristan had promised himself not to mess up and to keep his cool, something snapped right there and then. The way she moved her body through the water, enjoying the feel of it on her skin, softly humming a little song: it was driving Tristan crazy. His heart ached for her, he wanted her so badly. He wanted to touch her, kiss her and hold her. 

   Luckily, Tristan managed to recover a bit from his 'heartaches' and jumped in the pool quickly. Rory let out a squeak when she felt a hand around her ankle. Soon Tristan pulled her under the surface. Tristan started to laugh at the frustrated look on her face when she came up again. But soon the look on Rory's face was replaced by an o so famous smirk. "You're in for it now, DuGrey. I'm gonna get you good…"  Rory yelled, while chasing Tristan. 

   They had a lot of fun together that afternoon, as friends of course, but they both knew something had changed. 

   It was only a matter of time, before they wouldn't be able to keep up the façade any longer. 

***************************************************************************************************************************

OK, you can start throwing rotten eggs and tomatoes to my head now! I know, I know, it sucked. I promise, next chap will be better. (LOL…like it can get any worse…..) Thanks for reading and review!


	6. Important discoveries & Heart to heart t...

A/N: Here I am again. You see I'm updating more frequently. Your reviews really encouraged me again. Special thanks to **GGFreak, your review made me smile..lol…thanks. Also a thank you for **Smile1**. To be honest with you, I was a bit frustrated with your earlier reviews before cause somehow I found them a bit degrading. (I'm not trying to offend you or anything, don't get me wrong, I'm a very stubborn person and I'm not very good at taken critic! So it's my own problem….lol)  But anyway, I was very pleased to read your review for chapter 4.  Your opinion has started to mean a lot to me. So thanks for that. I hope you're all going to like the next chapter. I've tried to describe the way Rory and especially Lorelai handles the new discoveries in the whole Tristan-situation. Please review!**

***************************************************************************

"Mom, I'm telling you. Tristan is just a friend!" Rory said when Lorelai accused her of having feelings for Tristan. 

After she had got home from the swimming pool with Tristan, Rory had this funny feeling in her stomach. She didn't know exactly what just happened in the pool, but she knew that something had changed. She couldn't ignore her feelings anymore. And now that she allowed herself to think back to that morning 3 months ago, she got this funny feeling in her stomach. She had tried so hard not to feel anything, but she knew it was useless. The time had come where she had to be honest with herself. She had to admit the truth. 

She liked Tristan. She knew it by the way her stomach made little flip-flops every time he smiled that special smile. The one that was meant for her, she hoped, and deep in her heart she knew it was. And although Rory was able to admit it to herself, she wasn't ready to confront her mother with the news. 

So when her mother noticed Rory's strange behaviour and asked her about it, she just followed the number-one-rule: DENIAL DENIAL DENIAL. But Lorelai knew her daughter by heart and knew something was going on. And we all know that when Lorelai sets her mind on something…..

"Come on, Rory, I gave birth to you, I raised you, I'm pretty sure I know you by know. So be honest to mommy and I will give you coffee. Now answer my question: do you like Tristan?" 

Rory let out a big sigh; she wasn't ready for all this drama.

Lorelai saw her struggle and said: 

"You know you can tell me everything, right? I won't get mad or anything, I'm not my mother; I just want you to be honest with me. It's perfectly OK if you've fallen for that gorgeous blond sex-god a.k.a. Tristan. I mean, who wouldn't? He's every girl's dream….Come on offspring, tell me."

*Every girl's dream * Lorelai thought. She was right about that, he was, but he was also every girl's mother's nightmare. When she first met Tristan, he had reminded her so much of Christopher. So self-assured, so arrogant, anyone could see that this boy always got what he wanted. And now he wanted her daughter. She knew it the minute she saw him staring at Rory. The look in his eyes, it was so obvious. Of course Lorelai was scared; she didn't want Rory to end up just like her. 

But when the Spawn of Satan and her daughter started growing closer, she got to know him better. And she discovered that he was much like her. He too wanted to get away from the upper-class, the Hartford-society. He also felt trapped in that world filled with fake people and most of all fake dreams. She saw it as soon as she looked in to his eyes. She found hurt in there, but also the desire to set himself free, to spread out his wings and fly. To fly away from the world she also despised. And from that moment on, she knew she had to let him in. She had to let him in to the Gilmore girl's world, because he needed it so very much. He needed the honesty, the love and most of all, he needed Rory. Cause when he was with Rory, his eyes would light up and he visibly relaxed. And Rory…well Rory liked him too. A lot. Lorelai could see that. To be honest, Lorelai had to admit that they were a perfect match. 

"I think I…..arrrghh…..it's so difficult mom! I don't want to lose him as a friend, but it's just that…..I don't know what to do." 

"I know, honey. Just calm down. You have to believe me when I say that everything's going to be all right. When I see the two of you together, I just know that….well….eh…….."

Lorelai hesitated for a while. 

"Just believe me: everything will be OK."

 She finished lamely. She didn't want to scare her daughter away, by telling her that she thought her and Tristan were made for each other. 

Rory had to figure that out by herself.

"Thanks Mom. I think I'm going to lie down for a minute. Just to think for a while."

And with that said, Rory went to her room and fell down on her bed. Today had been very confusing for her and although she had her mother's support, she needed to sort things out on her own. She needed to relax and she needed to think.

 * God what an exhausting day! *. 

***************************************************************************

Meanwhile at the Dugrey mansion, a certain hot boy was having trouble relaxing too. Sighing, he flopped down on his kingside bed. All the feelings for Rory that he had kept hidden so long had resurfaced this afternoon. This whirlwind of emotions had made him a wreck.

* God what an exhausting day! * 

***************************************************************************

So that's it for today. Read and review please and once again thanks to all of you who have reviewed at the previous chapters!!!! 

***************************************************************************


	7. Hot dreams & Oh Baby!

A/N Hey everyone! I'm back. I'm awfully sorry for the lack of updating but I wasn't really in the mood to write and I knew that if I was going to write anyway, it would suck enormously! Thanks to all of you have reviewed my last chapter! So, I hope you're all going to like this new chapter. I know I do. Enjoy and keep reviewing, they make my day!  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
He kissed her with all he had. He didn't ask for entrance, he just took it. Taking what he wanted: her. Luckily Rory didn't object. She moaned into his mouth, she'd always known he was a great kisser. His hands left her face and gripped her waist, pulling her even closer. She loved the feel of his body against hers, and pressed her body even closer. Tristan groaned...  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
*Oh my God!* Rory awoke with a start. Her breathing was heavy and her body felt heated.  
  
*I can not believe I had this dream again. It's been like...what... 4 nights in a row now? Jesus Christ Rory, get a grip girl.*  
  
She waited till her breathing calmed down and bit, and tried to relax. Soon she fell asleep...  
  
Rory was right; this had been the 4th night in a row for her to have this dream. Always the same dream: Tristan, kissing her passionately. And she didn't object at all. The first time she had this dream she didn't really know what to think of it. Why would she dream something like this? But then it doomed upon her. The dreams had started the night after Tristan and she had gone swimming. Something had changed that evening. She had seen the way he looked at her, and then she understood.  
  
They weren't just friends...  
  
They'd never been JUST friends...  
  
So for the last 4 days she had tried to act as normal as she could towards him, but it didn't work. Everything was awkward. When he would give her a friendly hug or when their hands would touch when he gave her coffee, she would feel tingles through her body. Normally only Tristan would have felt that way, because well.....he was in love. But now, Rory felt it too. Of course she didn't want to admit it, and because of that she was acting very weird around him.  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
Meanwhile, Tristan was lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep was hard to find, because there was this big mess of thoughts in his mind. Not a big surprise, but they were all about Rory.  
  
Tristan was getting frustrated. He noticed the way she was acting around him and he knew something had changed, that day in the pool. He knew she felt something too, every time they touched. Although he had promised himself to back off, and to be just friends with her, he was starting to get really frustrated. He couldn't stand it when she was being so stand-offish around him. He couldn't stand the fact that she was acting all shy around him. After that day in the pool he had this secret hope that maybe she had some sort of feelings for him too, but he didn't want to mess things up. So he just tried to lay low, and he tried to keep his cool. But oh boy, it was getting so difficult. He wasn't sure if he was able to hold on for so long.  
  
Love, after all, can only be tamed for so long...  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
Next day at Chilton, Rory was stuffing books in her locker. She was so damn tired. The dreams had been keeping her awake lately, and she was on the verge of breaking down. She needed sleep, but most of all she needed peace inside her mind. She was thinking way too much about a certain someone. *Maybe * she thought * it's time for me to do something. Maybe I just have to talk to him. Lay it all out in the open. Tell him that I....... that I what? That I get tingles every time we touch? That I've been having dreams about him? I can't do that!*  
  
"Aargh!" Rory let out a frustrated sigh.  
  
Right that instant, Tristan appeared. "Hey Ror, a little moody today aren't we?"  
  
"Eh.......yeah....you could say that."  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing....it's just.....it's nothing. Just....leave me alone for a while...ok?" And with that said, she grabbed her bag and walked to class, leaving Tristan standing by her locker. * I'm not ready to tell him. *  
  
Tristan sighed, and placed the two cups of coffee in his own locker. He didn't need them anymore now did he? Nobody noticed the look of pain in his eyes, signalling that she once again had hurt him. Not on purpose, he too knew that, but still it hurt. Sighing, he grabbed his bag and walked to class.  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
A couple of hours later, Rory collapsed into a chair in the cafeteria. God, she was tired. It was like everyone was against her today. The teachers were even more strict than usual, she had to write three (!) essays this weekend, Paris was being even more terrible today, and on top of that: Tristan had been following her all day.  
  
He wasn't letting her get of the hook so easy. He really wanted to know what was wrong. She hated him for doing that. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? He was the last one she needed right now.  
  
Well, maybe that wasn't really true. Maybe he was just the one she needed right now. But she didn't want to see that.  
  
"Hey Grumpy, be careful or your face will stay that way forever. Oh, that would be bad..." Tristan said, after sitting down next to her.  
  
"Just go away, please. I'm having the crappiest day of my life." Rory mumbled.  
  
"Well Mary, maybe I can do something about it. Was Paris being mean to you again? Cause I can go and kick her ass for that, you know. Or do you have a whole lot of homework to do? Cause I could also help you with that. You know, just studying together? Come on, Ror. It can't be that bad!"  
  
"It's nothing like that, Tristan." She sighed.  
  
"OK, I've had enough of this. Come on Rory, let's go."  
  
Tristan grabbed her by the waist and dragged her out of the cafeteria.  
  
"Hey, what are you doing? Let me go!"  
  
Rory really wanted to break free, but somehow her body had stopped listening to her the moment Tristan placed his strong arm around her waist. She noticed how they fit perfectly. Tristan didn't respond and just kept walking. Rory saw where they were going.  
  
The bench.  
  
He let go of Rory's waist and both of them mourned the loss of contact. He sat beside her and grabbed her hand.  
  
"Rory, please tell me what is going on? It's not just today; you've been acting strange around me for a few days now. What have I done wrong? Did I say something or do something? Tell me, baby, I can't stand the fact that you're being so depressed." All the time he was looking at her intensely.  
  
Tristan almost kicked himself. * Did I just call her baby?*  
  
The tables had turned. Rory was no longer uncomfortable, Tristan was.  
  
"Did you just....call me baby?" Rory asked, looking deep into his eyes. She felt tingles all through her body, just because of the fact that Tristan had called her baby. Tristan didn't say anything; he shifted his eyes, trying to avoid Rory's.  
  
And then she knew.  
  
She touched his cheek with her hand gentle, her touch sending shivers through them both. She forced him to look at her. He slowly raised his eyes to meet hers. She looked deep into them, as if looking for something.  
  
She found it.  
  
Her eyes got wide.  
  
Everything made sense now.  
  
"Oh my god, you love me." Rory whispered.  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
I know, I know.....I promised myself I wouldn't rush anything, but hey they're not together yet, are they? Please let me know what you think of this chapter? What should happen next? How should Tristan react? I'm looking forward to your ideas!  
  
*************************************************************************** 


	8. Kisses & A Shocked Tristan

A/N: Hey you all! I'm terribly sorry for not updating for so long. I just had no inspiration whatsoever and I was obviously at a quite crucial point in the story so I had to do this right. I hope I did…..let me know after you've read it.  I'll be updating more frequently from now on, I promise you that. I'm in my final year of high school and for the next 4 weeks I don't have to go to school, because I'm supposed to study for my exams. Which obviously I will, but this also means that I have more time to update this story.  Thanks to all of you who reviewed, I'm very grateful and I will update sooner!!! 

***************************************************************************

To say Tristan was shocked would be the understatement of the year. He was already very tense the moment she put her hands to his face but the moment she whispered those words….his heart stopped. He didn't know what to do. The girl he loved finally saw through him and he just froze. A million thoughts were running through his mind. He never got to finish those thoughts though.

Seeing the shocked look on his face, Rory did the first thing that came to mind.

She kissed him. 

Ever so gently she pressed her soft lips to his. 

The moment her lips touched his, she felt special. His sharp intake of breath made her stomach do flip-flops. She felt so incredibly alive. 

Her entire body tingled and she felt like she was on fire. All these incredible feelings just from one little kiss with….someone who wasn't kissing her back…

Quickly Rory pulled back. She took a few steps back, her eyes full of hurt and started to ramble.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything and I really shouldn't have done that. I just thought that….never mind. I know you don't look at me like that and I'm just stupid. I mean, how could I think that right? We're friends, just friends and friends don't kiss each other, right? Oh my god I feel so embarrassed, just forget what happened Tristan, please forget it. I'm sorry….I have to go."  Her voice was heavy with tears and Rory quickly ran away. Leaving not only a shocked but also a kissed Tristan behind.

But he woke up. He saw the girl of his dreams run around the corner and noticed in the far end of his mind that he'd never seen her run before. But that wasn't true. She ran away from him at Madeline's party. Of course, how could he possibly forget? And basically she had been running away from him ever since. Not literally of course, but somehow she never allowed him to get close to her. She always backed off at the right moments, always ran away just in time. Except for now. This time she didn't back off, she didn't run away. She finally saw through him and finally allowed him to get close to her. 

She opened up to him and what did he do? 

He screwed up. 

He really screwed up.

Rory had kissed him and he had just stood there motionless. 

* If there was an award for the greatest idiot in the world, I would've won it * Tristan thought bitterly.

Tristan quickly got up and went to look for her. He couldn't let her get away, he would not lose her. He had to show her how he felt about her. This was his chance.

***************************************************************************

A/N:  So, you like? Just trying to keep it exciting! I'm sorry for the kind-of cliff-hanger! I wrote more already but I wanted to post this bit first just to show you guys that I'm still alive and writing!!! Please review, it will make me write faster!! Thanks!

***************************************************************************


	9. Trembles & Whispers

A/N: I promised you that I would update sooner, so here it is: my next chapter. Before you start reading I would like to thank all the reviewers, you are awesome! Thank you very very much! And special thanks to GGFreak, miarae and sooty7sweep, your reviews were fantastic, you made my day! So on with the story:::::::::::  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
"Rory! Please wait!" Tristan saw her sitting at the bus stop with her head in her hands. When she heard Tristan call her name, she looked up and he noticed her red eyes. She tried to wipe away her tears because she felt embarrassed enough already, but it was to no avail. Tristan noticed immediately. *Oh my god, I made her cry again.*  
  
He slowly walked to her and sat next to her on the bench. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know how to start. There was so much he wanted to tell her. Her heartbreaking sob took him out of his reverie.  
  
"Please Tristan, just forget it. Just go away." She cried, almost choking on her tears.  
  
"I can't, Rory." He whispered.  
  
"Why not? I'm already embarrassed enough, Tristan. Don't go making it even worse now."  
  
"I can't leave Rory. I can't forget what happened. I can't let you sit her,  
  
feeling embarrassed when there's nothing for you to be embarrassed about." Tristan answered, while getting up. He stood in front of her and softly forced her to look up at him.  
  
She did and he took in her heartbroken appearance. He had done it again; he had once again hurt her. Her beautiful eyes were brimming with tears and her soft cheeks were wet from the countless tears that had already fallen. "What do you mean? I thought you were in love with me, and you obviously aren't. I kissed you, and you didn't kiss me back. There is a whole lot for me to be embarrassed about."  
  
"No there is not. Not when you were right. You were right about everything. I just got scared, Rory. You finally saw through me, and it scared me. And when you kissed me, I just froze. Never in my life had I expected you to do that. In my dreams yes, countless times even. But I....I just couldn't believe it was real. I'm sorry, Rory. I never meant to hurt you, and I never meant to make you feel embarrassed."  
  
He let out a deep sigh, and looked her straight in the eye. "And I promised myself that I would never make you cry again, I'm so terribly sorry, baby."  
  
Tristan looked at the ground, patiently waiting for her reaction. After a while he felt her small hands search his larger ones and felt her slim fingers wrap around his. He looked up and saw her softly smiling at him.  
  
She slowly got up from the bench and went to stand close to before him. Tristan could do nothing but stand there and watch her every move. Slowly she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. Tristan wrapped his strong arms around her waist and let out a deep sigh. This felt so good. Just holding her, hugging her, it was amazing. Rory's head was buried n the crook of his neck and he felt her smile against his skin. Tristan thought he was dreaming.  
  
Then she looked up at him, now with a mischievous smile on her face. Her hands grasped the back of his neck softly and she brought her head close to his. Never in his life had Tristan felt as vulnerable and nervous as at this moment. The girl of his dreams standing in front of him, holding him and looking at him with a slight smile, torturing him.  
  
He trembled, she noticed and her eyes softened.  
  
And just before she kissed him for the second time that day, she whispered against his lips:  
  
"You called me baby again..."  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
So there it is. I hope you like it.... It's not over yet, though. I mean, they're kissing at the moment, so I can make a whole chapter about that ( You want me to do that? Just let me know. But then you do have to review....hint...hint... Anyways, next week I won't be updating because tomorrow I'm leaving for Italy!!!!!!! Yeah baby! So when I see some hot Italian guys, maybe I'll get some inspiration for the next chapter! Who knows... ( I'll think of you all, when I'm sunbathing by the pool in Toscane....gna...gna...gna.... But I'll be back! And I hope to find a lot of reviews when I get back..... thanks! 


End file.
